Auburn equestrian team wins 4th national championship

(Video above: Highlights from Auburn’s equestrian national championship, from Brandon Marcello)

Auburn’s equestrian team went head-to-head against a tough Texas Christian University team to secure the Tigers’ fourth national championship at the National Collegiate Equestrian Association championship finals this weekend.

Auburn’s victory came after a tough competition in Waco, Texas. The No. 1 Tigers had already defeated No. 5 Texas A&M and No. 8 Kansas State to make it to the finals against No. 6 TCU.

Going into the final event of the competition, Reining, the Tigers held a slight 7-5 lead over the Horned Frogs. Auburn had already won two points in Equitation over Fences, one in Horsemanship, and swept TCU 4-0 in Equitation on the Flat. After Auburn freshman Blair McFarlin won the team’s eighth point, the final round ended in a tie, securing Auburn’s 8-7 victory.

“It was a dramatic finish to a great season,” said head coach Greg Williams. “I’m so proud of this team and the great coaching staff. This staff had everyone ready to play and it’s been an awesome weekend. I give so much credit to TCU for having a fantastic championship. They proved they’re here to compete and are going to be successful in the future.”

Saturday’s victory was Auburn’s fourth national championship, and its first since 2013. Overall, the Tigers had a record 16-1 season, including the team’s first-ever Southeastern Conference championship last month. Auburn is one of only 18 Division-I schools and one of four SEC schools that have an equestrian team.

The NCEA All-Championship team this year was stacked with Auburn athletes, including senior Elizabeth Benson (Flat), junior Ashley Foster (Flat), freshman Caitlin Boyle (Flat and Fences), senior Hannah Loseke (Horsemanship), and freshman Blair McFarlin (Reining).

Ending the season on such a high note had special significance for the seniors, who helped lead the Tigers to one of their most successful seasons in the program’s history.

“We had a lot of business to settle and the focus we had all the way to the end really paid off,” Williams said. “I’m so proud and am thankful to have one of the greatest groups of seniors I’ve ever had. And they’ll turn around and say that the underclassmen bought in 100 percent to the program. This is one of the most unified team I’ve ever coached at Auburn.”